The Ties That Bind Us
by futuredoctorlove
Summary: Emily reveals a past secret to Will that impacts a case that she's working on. Rape is mentioned and violence is prominent.
1. Heavy in Your Arms

"Emily."

_My name, how does he know my name?_

"Happy birthday. I wish that I could give you a present. Trust me Emily, you'd really like it."

* * *

As I splashed the cool water over my face, my heart began to beat faster and faster by the second. _Is this what a panic attack feels like? _I tried to control my breathing by counting to twenty and hoped that I wouldn't break down in the women's bathroom. _Not here. Please God. Anyplace else than here._

_Why did I have to forget to take off my name tag? _Forcing myself to calm down, I tried to focus on my breathing, but the more I thought what just about happened, the more erratic my breathing became. The faster my breathing became, the scarier my thoughts became.

_What if Will never walked in? What if the guard wasn't there? Why did this have to happen to me?!_ _I can't do this. I can't. I need to go home or somewhere else other than this hospital. I need to get out of here!_

A loud knock broke my stream of thoughts that were threatening to spill over as tears.

"Just as a warning, I'm coming in. What were you thinking of going in there alone?"

I turned around suddenly and Will's angry expression turned into a concerned one.

"Emily, are you okay? What's wrong? Tell me."

I tried to control my breathing. "I'm fine Will, I promise. I just need a minute."

"Em, you're hyperventilating. Something is wrong: tell me please," Will pleaded as I began to pace back and forth.

Gasping for air, I managed to breathe out the words, "Just leave, please. I'll be fine."

* * *

As Will locked the bathroom door, he crossed over the area of the bathroom and pulled me into a tight embrace.

"I'll stay here as long as you need me to, but you need to tell me what's wrong. I'm your friend; I'm going to make sure that no one hurts you. You're safe here. Just relax, take a deep breath, and tell me what's wrong," Will said soothingly as he sat down and started to rub my back in gentle circles.

"I was raped during my sophomore year in college." I said in a rush. "I stayed late at the library one night and walked across campus on my own. I was careful; I had pepper spray, and had 911 on speed dial. I didn't see it coming. One minute I was walking, the next thing I knew, the back of my head hit the concrete and my skirt was being ripped apart. He said that if I told anyone that he would kill me and then punched me so hard that I passed out."

"The campus police found me and took me to the hospital to get a rape kit. After that, I got counseling and seemed to move on. This case impacts me more than you know. Even though he's handcuffed, what he said brought back those terrifying memories."

"Emily, why didn't you tell me?" Will said while trying to keep him composure.

"It's simple; I didn't want anyone to know."

As Will continued to calm me down, he whispered against my cheek, "Does anybody _else_ know?"

"No one else, just you, me, and my parents."

* * *

As our pagers went off at the same time, I stood up and put my lab coat on. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and rinsed my face off with cold water to hide that I had been crying.

As we both left the women's restroom, Will stopped me for a moment.

"Emily, I meant what I said. I'm your friend, and as long as we're friends, I'm going to make sure that no one ever hurts you like that again, okay?"

Before emerging through the throng of people in the hallway, he pulled me aside and hugged me firmly and kissed my temple.

As we parted our separate ways, Will looked at me without missing a beat and stared at my face with a concerned expression.

"I'll see you later at the party. Let me know if you need anything."


	2. A Comforting Sound

_I don't like birthdays. Not because I don't appreciate myself, but because there are bad memories associated with mine, in particular. _

As I lay down on my bed, all of the memories of today washed over me. Running my fingers through my hair and taking a deep breath in an effort to recollect my thoughts, I heard a knock at the door.

"Emily, what are you doing in here? There's a party outside. Come on, let loose!" Will said while doing a silly dance to cheer me up.

"Eh, I think I'll just skip it. I'm just gonna hang out here for a while. You know, try to clear my head,"

"Is this about what happened today? If you are going to hang out in here, then I'll join you."

A few seconds later, Will was lying in the same position I was, except I could see the freckles on his nose and the sparkling in his eyes.

"This has been one hell of a day, hasn't it" he said while reading my face.

"Yeah."

We lay there for a while just looking up at the ceiling and listening to the shallow breaths coming from our bodies fill the room with a comfortable harmony.

"I think I may start going back to therapy," I said while looking into Will's eyes and trying to judge his reaction.

As he internalized what I just said, his bright blues eyes suddenly turned into a sad, royal blue and the frown lines on his forehead became more evident.

"Em, I'm so sorry that this happened to you. If I had been there sooner or been there to protect you, this wouldn't have happened," Will said, his voice breaking while trying to apologize for the wrongs that he had not done.

"Will," I said softly, "this is none of your fault. Yes, unfortunate things happen, but this isn't something you did. Don't ever think that," I said while tentatively reaching out for his arm.

As we lay there, we talked. About our fears, dreams, and the celebration of birthdays. As our conversation carried on, drowsiness swept over us and we slowly dozed off, escaping the problems that had plagued us as adults and found a moment of tranquility for once in our lives.

* * *

Sorry about the shortness of this chapter. This story is definitely not a one shot; it's going to get quite dark and it will be filled with pain, and I'm hoping to write in a Will/Emily relationship. I also want to step away from Will's "happy go lucky" attitude; I want to expose some of his vulnerabilities.

Please rate and review so I can take suggestions to heart.


	3. Sullen Girl

"Hi, I have an appointment with Dr. Holland at 2 p.m.," Emily said to the receptionist nervously as she handed her the appointment card.

"Welcome, Emily. Dr. Holland will be with you in a few minutes. Please take a seat. Would you like any coffee, water, soda...?" She offered as she dialed the extension to the doctor's office.

"No thank you, I'll just wait."

As the minutes droned on, Emily became more nervous and started to become absorb in her thoughts. _I wonder if he's nice. Of course he's nice, he's a psychiatrist. I just need to calm down and not worry. I'll be fine. I can do this, I kno-…."_

"Emily Owens." Dr. Holland pronounced while looking around the waiting room.

"Right here." Emily said chirpily, while grabbing her purse and the files from her old psychiatrist simultaneously.

As she walked through the office door, she took in her surroundings, suddenly remembering the Psych rotation that was required during medical school.

"Take a seat, please," Dr. Holland asked while gesturing to the plush burgundy couch with overstuffed throw pillows.

Without skipping a beat, Dr. Holland started peppering questions about why she was here. Based upon her chart, he could see that she had been raped when she was nineteen and had seen a psychiatrist upon the aftermath of the attack.

"Next question, Emily. What provoked your panic attack at work that caused you to seek therapy?" Dr. Holland investigated further, while scribbling down notes on his pad.

Emily said nothing while picking at her cuticles nervously.

"Dr. Owens, you're face is very easy to read. If you want help, you're going to need to tell me everything."

As soon as those words slipped out of the doctor's mouth, Emily's head swam with a million different thoughts. _That was something that the rapist said. Why that?_

"Dr. Holland," Emily said while trying to maintain composure, "I need to leave. I can't breathe, I think I'm having a panic attack. I'm sorry, but I can't be here."

"Emily, I'm gonna help you get through this. Trying breathing slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth." Holland said as he grabbed a paper bag and gently placed it in Emily's hands. "This should help. I'm right here; I won't leave, I promise."

As Emily took deep breaths, she felt her head clearing and her breathing return to normal.

"Now, let's start with baby steps. Tell me how you feel about the sexual harassment that came from the prisoner."

* * *

As the therapy sessions progressed further, Emily was starting to come to terms with her past rape and was starting to put it behind her. After her twentieth therapy session, Emily felt that she was ready to put this chapter of her life behind her. At the end of her last therapy session, she handed Dr. Holland a Starbucks gift card: she had noticed that he was usually tired during their sessions in the afternoon and usually drank the bland coffee from the cart by the nurses' station.

"Thank you, Emily. You've made a lot of progress over these last six months and I'm glad I was able to work with you. If you have any more questions or find yourself seeking advice, you know where to find me," Dr. Holland said as he walked Emily to the entrance of the psychiatrists' office.

As Emily walked to the locker room to change for drinks with Will to celebrate, she felt a sense of accomplishment. _I'm whole again. I can start all over and this isn't going to haunt me anymore._

As Emily walked into the bar, she spotted Will sitting in a booth with champagne.

"Emily! Congrats! Let's celebrate!" Will said as he handed her a flute of champagne.

* * *

Two martinis in and three hours later, Emily gathered her coat and purse and decided to head home.

As Will hugged her goodbye, he warned her to sober up in her car before she left.

Exiting into the brisk October Colorado weather, Emily heard a man call her name.

"Emily. Dr. Owens?" A gruff voice emerged from the shadows.

Emily turned around to see who it was, but not before a fist collided with her cheekbone.

As she whimpered in pain, the man pinned her to the wall.

"Don't you remember me? I'm the patient that was in prison. I escaped about a week ago and I've looking for you."

Emily looked frightfully into the gray one's of her attacker and he answered "Yes, you."

As he through punches at her torso and started to squeeze her neck tighter, he began to make his intentions more clear.

"Ever since I went back to prison, all I could think about was you. How you walked around that hospital like the tease you are and how you wore your scrub top so low." He said, as he delivered a blow to her ear, causing the drum to burst.

"I'm a man that gets what he wants, and I'm going to have you, regardless if you want it or not." He growled as he pushed her dress up and ripped off her panties.

"Now, be a good girl, don't make any noise, and this will be over soon and no one will get hurt." he said as he pushed her down on the gravel.

As he began to assault her, she saw a much taller man run towards her and the attacker, pull him off, and throw him against the wall.

As strong arms picked her up and cradled her, she sank into the warm inviting comfort of unconsciousness.

* * *

I apologize for the graphicness of this chapter. For the next couple of chapters, it's going to be very dark. Please rate and review.


	4. Signs of Life

"Emily, stay with me. Please, whatever you do don't fall asleep." Will begged while carrying Emily into the emergency room and setting her down on a bed.

"Can't. It hurts too bad. Make the pain stop, please." Emily begged while clinging to Will's shoulders.

"Dr. Owens, we're going to take good care of you. Just stay awake as long as you can." A nurse promised as she attached an IV to Emily's arm.

"Shit! She's going into cardiac arrest. Someone get Dr. Collins out of here. Charge to 280; clear!" A female's voice directed as she moved quickly around the patient.

* * *

As Emily was rushed to surgery, Will stood still in the emergency room, wondering what to do next. He wandered down the numerous halls of the hospital until he found the room he was looking for: the chapel.

The moment he passed through that holy threshold, sobs wracked his entire body. As he made his way to the front pupil, he sat down with his face in his hands and began to pray out loud.

"God, it's me. Will Collins. I'm sorry we haven't talked in while, but I could really use your help right now. My friend, Emily, was attacked tonight. The guy that attacked her got away and she's in bad shape." Will said as more tears fell. "I need her. Please don't let her die. I'll start going to church more and talking to my parents more, but don't let her die. I can't live without her."

* * *

Dr. Bendari found Will in the waiting room, staring listlessly in a cup of coffee and eyes red from the constant crying.

"Will," Dr. Bendari said softly, "Emily is going to be fine." She said softly while comforting the young doctor.

Dr. Bendari continued, "Emily has five broken ribs and her heart stopped twice while we were trying to fix her collapsed lung and her torn diaphragm. If you hadn't been there when you were, she would've been raped. Her nose, arm, and ankle were broken and she's going to need your help, but within a couple of months, she should be back on her feet. She's asleep now, but you can go see her."

As Dr. Bendari directed Will to Emily's room, he took in the sight of his best friend lying in a hospital bed in such a fragile state.

Will quickly sat down and held on to Emily's non-broken hand and stared blankly into space.

As the next twelve hours passed, Will only left Emily's side to use the bathroom and even then, he rushed back to make sure that no one was coming to get her.

Finally, after fifty-two hours of no sleep, Will's mental and physically state gave way to exhaustion and he collapsed into a fitful sleep.

* * *

This chapter was a bit scary and it most likely going to get a lot worse. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be writing a lot more because I'm on winter break. Thanks for reading and reviewing, and please contribute any ideas you have.


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